Folding baby carriage



June 3, 1941- s. HENDRICKSON ET AL 2,244,155

FOLDING BABY CARRIAGE Filed NOV. 13, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WZM .'zzzgz-rz l'nr: fire/17.262822071610022 1941- s. HENDRICKSON ET AL2,244,155

FOLDING BABY CARRIAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 15, 1939 liar/57 52??-,s' i if 81 re %%%w Patented June 3, 1941 FOLDING BABY"GARRJIAGESeverine Hendrickson, Templeton, and Selim A,

Fred, Gardner, Mass., assignors to Heywood- Wakefield Company, Gardner,Mass, at corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationNovember 13, [1939,Serial No. 304,098

'10 Claims.

The present invention relates to baby carriages and particularly to acarriage of the collapsible type, which, by folding of the carriage bodyand supporting frame, may be stored in a small space.

In priordevices of this character, it has been desirable to provide fora slight resiliency in the supporting structure, so that the carriagebody may be resiliently supported. Where resiliency has been obtained inthe supporting structure,

there has invariably been a sacrifice in the stability of the carriageor a sacrifice in the compact foldability thereof. The principal objectof the present invention is to provide a supporting structure andcarriage body capable of collapsing to a relatively small dimension and50 arranged that the carriage body may be somewhat resiliently supportedWithout sacrificing any steadiness of the carriage.

A further feature of the invention resides in the mounting of a brakestructure so that it will not interfere in any way with the compactcollapsing of the carriage, but which may be readily engaged ordisengaged as desired. The invention also contemplates a more securesuspension of the carriage body from the supporting frame for greaterstability.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will morefully appear from the following detailed description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofthe carriage embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation on a larger scale of one of thelatches which holds the.

carriage in extended position, looking in the direction of the arrow 2.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the latch along the line 3-3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a view of a part of the under carriage looking in thedirection of the arrow 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of the arrow 5 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the carriage.

Fig. 7 is aside view of the brake structure.

With reference first to Fig. 6, the carriage body has a supporting framecomprising a pair of spaced side elements l extending the length of thebody and to which is pivotally mounted a U-shaped end element 2. Theends of the latter are pivoted to the elements I between the endsthereof by suitable pins 2a. The side Walls 3 of the carriage body areof a flexible material and are Suspended from the elements I and 2. The

carriage body has a bottom wall d to which the lower edges of the sidewalls are connected.-

The carriage body is mounted on a supporting frame which is arranged tobe extended to permit use of the carriage, as in Fig. 1, or to becollapsed, so that the carriage will occupy very little space when notinuse. Referring to Fig. 1, the supporting frame embodies front and rearaxles 5 and 6 on the opposite ends of each of which are positionedwheels 1. Reaches 8 extend between the front and rear axles to maintaina suitable spacing therebetween, and these reaches are connected to theaxles by clips 9. The reaches 8 are somewhat resilient for a purposewhich will hereinafter appear.

The supporting frame on each side of the carriage body is identical, andonly the structure visible in Fig. 1 willbe described. Forwardly of thefront axle 5 and rearwardly of the rear axle it each reach 8 hasdepending lugs It and HM rigidly attached thereto. To the lower end offorward lug I0 is pivotally connected, as by a pin H, a link l2, and thefree end of the link l2 is connected to the lower end of one arm 53 ofthe pair of side arms [3 and M by which the carriage body is supported.A similar pair of side arms is located on the opposite side of the body.A link 12g on the lug Ida. has its opposite end connected to the otherside arm 3. The side arms l3 and i4 cross each other and are pivotallyconnected substantially centrally thereof by a pivot pin l5. The arm Itextending upwardly from adjaoent the rear axle is pivotally connected atthe top end to the side element i of the frame by a pin Ma. The otherside arm it has its upper end pivotally connected as by a pin Eta to thelower end of the handle element !6.

Since the reaches 8 are resilient, as above stated, and since thesupporting frames for the carriage body are mounted on the reaches atpoints spaced from the axles, it is obvious that the reaches will springunder the weight of the carriage body. In this way irregularities in thesurface over which the carriage is wheeled are not communicated to thecarriage body, but are absorbed by the resiliency of the reaches. Itwill be further noted that the link I2 extends rear- Wardly beneath theaxle 5 and the reach 12a extends forwardly beneath the axle 6. Thus, asthe links are rocked about the pivot pins by which they are connected tothe lugs Ed and Illa on the reaches, they may engage the axles and limitundesirable endwise rocking of the carriage.

The handle element 16, as shown in Fig. 6, is substantially U-shaped andthe depending arms thereof are pivotally connected by pins Ita to theends of the side elements I, the pins Ifia engaging the handle elementabove the extreme lower ends thereof. The lower ends of the dependingarms of the handle element are connected by the pins I3a of the oppositeside arms l3 at points spaced from the pins 16a. A latch [8 holds theportion of the handle element on each side of the carriage body inalinement with the side arm I3, as shown in Fig. 1.

With reference to Fig. 3, the latch, also shown in Fig. 2, is U-shapedin cross section with the arms of the U long enough to extend over andengage with the lower end of the handle element and also the side arm I3pivotally connected thereto where the element and arm overlap. The latchis rockable on the same pin [3a that holds the side arm to the dependingend of the handle. A spring 20 surrounding the pin I30. holds the latchagainst the face of the handle element and in the operative position ofFig, 2. The upper end or handle portion l8a of the latch is offset fromthe depending end of the handle, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the latchmay be disengaged by an inward pressure on the upper end of the latch.

For more stability in the carriage, the pairs of side arms l3 and [4 onopposite sides of the carriage are connected together below the carriagebottom by a connecting rod 2!, Fig. 4, the opposite ends of which arebent downwardly and secured to the side arms by the opposite pivot pinsI5. Between the ends of this connecting rod is a depending lug 22 towhich are pivoted, by a pin 23, the upper ends of downwardly divergingarms 24 and 24a connected at their lower ends to the short links I2 towhich the side arms l3. are connected, the same pivot pin serving forboth arms [3 and 24.

For a more rigid support of the carriage body.

' riage is folded, the bottom of the carriage body may move toward theside elements I thereof, but upon opening of the carriage for use, theselinks 21, 28 and 29 will support the carriage bottom very securely. Thepivoted link 28 projects beyond the upwardly extending lug on the bar 26and engages with said bar to prevent the links 28 and 29 fromstraightening beyond the position shown, and thereby preventing collapseof the carriage.

The brake mechanism consists of a transverse bar 33 having dependingportions 33a which are pivoted to lugs 3! on the reaches. The dependingportions of the bar have laterally extending ends 301) in a position toengage with the rear wheels of the vehicle when the central portion ofthe bar is moved forwardly. The bar 30 has pivoted thereto a rearwardlyextending arm 32 having a laterally extending end portion 33 which is ina position to be engaged by the foot of a person standing in back of thecarriage. To the arm 32 is pivoted an arm 34 which is also pivoted onthe rear axle 5. The arm 32 is curved as shown in Fig. 1, so that whenthe rearward end thereof is depressed, the pivot point of the arm oneach side of the carriage body, the upper ends of said arms beingadapted to be connected to the carriage body, and rigid links connectingthe lower ends of the arms of each pair to one of the reaches at pointsspaced from the axles, said reaches being resilient so that the carriagebody is resiliently mounted.

2. A supporting frame for carriage bodies, comprising front and rearaxles, a pair of reaches extending between the axles for holding them inspaced relation, a pair of pivotally connected side arms on each side ofthe carriagebody, and a link connecting the lower end of one of the armsof each pair to one of the reaches at a point spaced from the axles,said reaches being resilient so that the link is resiliently mountedwith respect to the axles.

3. A supporting frame for carriage bodies, comprising front and rearaxles, a pair of reaches extending between the axles for holding them inspaced relation, a pair of pivotally connected side arms on each side ofthe carriage body, the arms of each pair diverging from the pivotalconnection to points adjacent the front and rear axles respectively, alink pivoted to the lower end of each arm of each pair, the links foreach pair of arms being pivoted to one of the reaches at points spacedfrom the adjacent axles at least the part of the reaches between theaxles and the connections of the links thereto being resilient so thatthe carriage body is resiliently supported with respect to the axles.

4. A supporting frame for carriage bodies, comprising front and rearaxles, a pair of reaches extending between the axles for holding them inspaced relation, a pair of pivotally connected side arms on each side ofthe carriage body, said reaches extending beyond the axles, a rigid linkpivotally mounted on each end of each reach and projecting beneath theadjacent axle, the free ends of the links on each of the reaches beingconnected to the lower ends of the side arms of the pair of side arms onthe same side of the carriage body at least the part of the reachesbetween the axles and the connections of the links thereto beingresilient so that the carriage body is resiliently supported withrespect to the axles.

5. A supporting frame for carriage bodies, comprising front and rearaxles, a resilient reach extending between said axles, a pair ofpivotally connected side arms having their upper ends connnected to thebody, a rigid link pivoted to the lower end of each arm, said linksbeing pivoted to the reach at points spaced from the axles, theresiliency of the reach providing for a relative movement of the pivotalconnection of the links with respect to the axles and thereby grovidinga resilient support for the carriage ody.

6. A supporting frame for carriage bodies, comprising front and rearaxles, a resilient reach extending between said axles, a pair ofpivotally connected side arms having their upper ends connected to thebody, and a pair of links pivoted to the reach at points spaced from theaxles, said links being pivotally connected to the lower ends of thepair of side arms, the resiliency of the reach providing for a relativemovement of the pivotal connection of the links with respect to theaxles and thereby providing a resilient support for the carriage body.

7. A supporting frame for carriage bodies, comprising front and rearaxles, a resilient reach extending between said axles, a pair ofpivotally connected side arms having their upper ends connected to thebody, and a pair of links pivoted to the reach at points forwardly andrearwardly of the front and rear axles respectively, said linksextending beneath the adjacent axles, the lower ends of said arms beingpivotally connected to the links, the resiliency of the reach providingfor a relative movement of the pivotal connection of the links withrespect to the axles and thereby providing a resilient support for thecarriage body.

8. In a supporting frame for carriage bodies, the latter having a rigidsupporting structure including opposite side members, said frameincluding a pair of side arms, the upper end of one of the side armsbeing pivotally connected to one of said side members, a handle pivotedto said side member, a pivot pin connecting said handle to the otherside arm at a point spaced from the connection of the handle to the sidemember, and a latch for holding said handle and said other side arm inextended relation, said latch being mounted for rocking movement on,

said pivot pin, and a spring for normally holding said latch inoperative position, said latch being U-shaped in cross section to extendover both the end of the handle and the end of the corresponding sidearm to hold said handle and side arm against relative movement.

9. In a supporting frame for carriage bodies,

the latter having a rigid supporting structure including opposite sidemembers, said frame ineluding a pair of side arms, the upper end of oneof the side arms being pivotally connected to one of said side members,a handle pivoted to said side member, a pivot pin connecting said handleto the other side arm at a point spaced from the connection of thehandle to the side member, and a latch for holding said handle and saidother side arm in extended relation, said latch being mounted forrocking movement on said pivot pin, and a spring for normally holdingsaid latch in operative position, said latch being U- shaped in crosssection to extend over both the end of the handle and the end of thecorresponding side arm to hold said handle and side arm against relativemovement, one end of the latch being offset to extend parallel to and inspaced relation to the handle to provide for release of the latch bymovement of said end of the latch toward the handle.

10. In a supporting frame for carriage bodies, front and rear axles, apair of resilient reaches extending between the axles for holding themin spaced relation, a pair of pivotally connected side arms on each sideof the carriage body, a link pivotally mounted on each end of each reachand projecting inwardly of the supporting frame and beneath the adjacentaxle, the free ends of the links on each of the reaches being connectedto the lower ends of the side arms of the pair of side arms on the sameside of the carriage body, said links, by engagement with the axle asthe carriage is rocked, controlling the relative movement of the bodywith respect to the axles, said reaches being resilient at least in theportions between the axles and the connections of the links thereto,whereby the connection for the link is movable with respect to theadjacent axle to a limited degree so that the carriage body isresiliently supported with respect to the axles.

SEVERINE HENDRICKSON. SELIM A. FRED.

